Efficient Transportation of Digital Files in a Peer-To-Peer File Delivery Network

1. A method for efficiently transporting digital files over a peer-to-peer network comprising at least one server node and multiple client nodes, the method comprising the steps of: a. when a digital file is to be transferred over the peer-to-peer network from a sending node to a receiving node, allowing other nodes to submit bids to transport the digital file over the peer-to-peer network for a particular price; b. allowing a sender to specify a particular quality of service for delivery of the digital file, the quality of service including immediate delivery and scheduled delivery; c. allowing the node with a lowest bid to transport the digital file to the receiving node, thereby optimizing network traffic based on economics; and d. uploading the digital file from the sending node to the at least one server node; and e. delivering the digital file from the at least one server node when the receiving node comes online when the specified quality of service is immediate delivery and the receiving node is off-line.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the step of paying a user of the transporting node the particular price.

3. The method of claim 2 further including the step of billing the user of the sending node.

4. The method of claim 1 further including the step of setting the price to transport the digital file based on the specified quality of service.

5. The method of claim 4 further including the step of if the specified quality of service is immediate delivery, then sending the digital file peer-to-peer.

6. The method of claim 5 further including the step of queuing file transmission until a scheduled time when the specified quality of service is scheduled delivery.

7. The method of claim 1 further including the step of requiring the submitted bids to include price and the quality of service.

8. A peer-to-peer network for efficiently transporting digital files, the peer-to-peer network comprising: multiple client nodes coupled with the peer-to-peer network; and a server node coupled with the peer-to-peer network, wherein the server node is adapted to: allow other nodes to submit bids to transport a digital file over the peer-to-peer network for a particular price when the digital file is to be transferred from a sending node to a receiving node; allow a quality of service for delivery of the digital file to be specified, the quality of service including immediate delivery and scheduled delivery; allow the node with a lowest bid to transport the digital file to the receiving node, thereby optimizing network traffic based on economics; upload the digital file from the sending node; and deliver the digital file when the receiving node comes online when the specified quality of service is immediate delivery and the receiving node is off-line.

9. The peer-to-peer network of claim 8 wherein a user of the transporting node is paid the particular price.

10. The peer-to-peer network of claim 9 wherein the user of the sending node is billed.

11. The peer-to-peer network of claim 8 wherein the price to transport the digital file is determined based on the specified quality of service.

12. The peer-to-peer network of claim 11 wherein the digital file is sent to the peer-to-peer network if the specified quality of service is immediate delivery.

13. The peer-to-peer network of claim 12 wherein if the specified quality of service is scheduled delivery, then the digital file is queued for transmission until a scheduled time.

14. The peer-to-peer network of claim 8 wherein the submitted bids include price and the quality of service.

15. A method for efficiently transporting digital files comprising, a. providing a peer-to-peer network that includes at least one server node and multiple client nodes; b. when a digital file is to be transferred over the peer-to-peer network from a sending node to a receiving node, allowing other nodes to submit bids to transport the digital file over the peer-to-peer network for a particular price; c. allowing a quality of service for delivery of the digital file to be specified, the quality of service including immediate delivery and scheduled delivery; d. allowing the node with a lowest bid to transport the digital file to the receiving node; e. uploading the digital file from the sending node to the at least one server node; f. delivering the digital file from the at least one server node when the receiving node comes online when the specified quality of service is immediate delivery and the receiving node is off-line; and g. billing a user account of the sending node, and paying a user of the transporting node the particular price, thereby optimizing network traffic based on economics.

16. The method of claim 15 further including the step of setting the price to transport the digital file based on the specified quality of service.

17. The method of claim 16 further including the step of if the specified quality of service is immediate delivery, then sending the digital file peer-to-peer.

18. The method of claim 17 further including the step of if the specified quality of service is scheduled delivery, then queuing file transmission until a scheduled time.

19. The method of claim 18 further including the step of requiring the submitted bids to include price and the quality of service.

20. A peer-to-peer network for efficiently transporting digital files, the peer-to-peer network comprising: multiple client nodes coupled with the peer-to-peer network; and a server node coupled with the peer-to-peer network, wherein the server node is adapted to: allow other nodes to submit bids to transport the digital file over the peer-to-peer network for a particular price when the digital file is to be transferred over the peer-to-peer network from a sending node to a receiving node; allow a quality of service for delivery of the digital file to be specified, the quality of service including immediate delivery and scheduled delivery; allow the node with a lowest bid to transport the digital file to the receiving node; upload the digital file from the sending node; deliver the digital file when the receiving node comes online when the specified quality of service is immediate delivery and the receiving node is off-line; and bill a user account of the sending node, and paying a user of the transporting node the particular price, thereby optimizing network traffic based on economics.

21. The peer-to-peer network of claim 20 wherein the price to transport the digital file is determined based on the specified quality of service.

22. The peer-to-peer network of claim 21 wherein the digital file is sent peer-to-peer if the specified quality of service is immediate delivery.

23. The peer-to-peer network of claim 22 wherein if the specified quality of service is scheduled delivery, then the digital file is queued for transmission until a scheduled time.

24. The peer-to-peer network of claim 23 wherein the submitted bids include price and the quality of service.

25. A peer-to-peer network for efficiently transporting digital files, the peer-to-peer network including at least one server node and multiple client nodes coupled to the peer-to-peer network, the peer-to-peer network further comprising: other nodes adapted to submit bids to transport a digital file over the peer-to-peer network for a particular price when the digital file is to be transferred from a sending node to a receiving node, wherein a quality of service for delivery is specified where the quality of service includes immediate delivery and scheduled delivery; and wherein one node of the other nodes with a lowest bid to transport the digital file to the receiving node is selected to transport the digital file, thereby optimizing network traffic based on economics where the digital file is uploaded from the sending node to the at least one server node and the digital file is delivered from the at least one server node when the receiving node comes online when the specified quality of service is immediate delivery and the receiving node is off-line.

26. A peer-to-peer network for efficiently transporting digital files, the peer-to-peer network including at least one server node and multiple client nodes coupled to the peer-to-peer network, the peer-to-peer network further comprising: other nodes adapted to submit bids to transport a digital file over the peer-to-peer network for a particular price when the digital file is to be transferred over the peer-to-peer network from a sending node to a receiving node, wherein a quality of service for delivery is specified where the quality of service includes immediate delivery and scheduled delivery; one of the other nodes being selected based on the one of the other nodes having a lowest bid to transport the digital file to the receiving node, where the digital file is uploaded from the sending node to the at least one server node and the digital file is delivered from the at least one server node when the receiving node comes online when the specified quality of service is immediate delivery and the receiving node is off-line; and the one of the other nodes selected to transport the digital file is further adapted to bill a user account of the sending node, such that a user of the transporting node is paid the particular price, thereby optimizing network traffic based on economics.